Dudley Rutherford is passionate about sharing the salvation and hope that is found in Jesus Christ with all people. He is the author of "Walls Fall Down" and the senior pastor of the 10,000-member Shepherd Church, which the city's mayor has called “the most racially diverse church in Los Angeles.” Dudley’s other books include God Has an App for That, Unleashed: The Church Turning the World Upside Down, and Romancing Royalty. Dudley and his beautiful wife, Renee, have three children.

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Thursday, September 22, 2011

I have questions! Do you have answers?

I always have questions that I wish people would answer. The way you answer these questions will tell me a lot about YOU. For the record, I am not asking these questions for you to make judgements about me. So often, just because someone ask a question we assume we know the motive for the question, in reality, it could just be just curiosity (yes, that could kill the cat) or it could be something that has consequences for us as individuals and all of us in general. Please feel free to answer any and all questions.

1) Why do we forget our blessings faster than we forget our trials?

2) Why is it that if someone disagrees with our President they are considered a racist? I don't remember anyone using that line on the former President and I disagreed with him all the time.

3) Why don't women band together in mass and condemn pornography, especially since it reduces them to mere objects.

4) Why isn't the church more diverse when we are the one entity that's been called to reach all people.

5) How can any politician NOT understand the DANGER of our country being 15 TRILLION dollars in DEBT. That burden falls upon our children.

6) What if the BIBLE were true and the ONLY people who are getting into heaven are those in Christ Jesus (John 3:16, John 14:6) Wouldn't that change everything?

7) Do you know how many signers of the Declaration of Independence were ordained ministers?
If most of them were clergy (which they were) how have we drifted away so far from our heritage?

8) Why is the "spotted owl" more protected than an "unborn child"?

9) How can the same sun that melts butter, harden clay?

10) How can the President pass a mandatory Health Care Bill and then hand out over 1000 exceptions to certain corporations? How come you and I can't get one of those exemptions?

11) Why is paying 75 dollars for a concert or 150 dollars to a musical or 250 dollars for a family of four to attend a dodger game seem like no big deal, but giving twenty dollars to God seems so painful?

12) Why does it seem the older you are the faster time flies?

13) Why don't we spend a greater amount of time on things that are eternal, as opposed to spending most of our time on things that are temporal?

14) Why do people blame God when things go bad and yet they deny God glory when things are going good?

15) At what point did man start to believe that he himself controls the universe and not God almighty?

16) If the odds are greater that you will die by riding on a donkey as opposed to riding on an airplane, then why haven't we ever heard of someone being killed while riding a donkey?

17) Why if the top grossing movies of all time are all G and PG rated, why would Hollywood ever make an R rated movie?

18) What would happen if everyone who claimed to be a follower of Jesus Christ actually let his light shine? How much darkness would be dispelled?

19) Do you think there is a chance that our economic trials in America could be tied to a moral and spiritual problem?

20) Finally, do you think anyone cares about you as much as God? Romans 5:8

4 comments:

1) Probably the same reason we tell 5 people about a good experience and 20 about a bad one. I think it may be built into our dna(flawed after the fall of man), so that we protect ourselves. I remember bad things, in this instance trials, to avoid repeating them. Unfortunately that actually natural reaction works contrary to Biblical truth.2) This is a good one. There is a hyper sensitivity to race in our country. I think it's the case for a few reasons. One, because many think that racism is dead, yet during the 2008 election we saw plenty of bigots show up to rallies. Surely that was not a majority, but it's enough to remind us the equality discussion isn't over. Now back to the point, because most of us African Americans never even dreamed Barack could actually win, we have our own Secret Service protection out for him. The, don't talk bad about the brotha decree. And that's really based on the fact that in this us/them world, the thinking is, if this brotha flops, they'll never let another one us get there.

Another issue around that is this. As many policies that Bush put forth that mirrored Obama's, the conservative base was not at all this vocal. We've had bad economic policies for 11yrs now, and the GOP wasn't saying, our job is to make sure this George W doesn't get re-elected. Now one could argue the fact that they tried to impeach Bill Clinton, says it's not a racial issue but more of a Red State vs. Blue State issue.

Final note on this, and I know I'm going on with this answer, but suffer me a bit of verbosity. I think when terms like, "we need to take America back" are screamed from conventions floors and tea party rallies and Fox News, if you're not in the GOP, you wonder, well who has America now? And who is it that's taking it back? They say the American people...OK, which group? The union guy that wants to keep his $20/hr salary, or the small business owner that doesn't have the means to insure all her employees, or the single mother on public assistance? So when one says, we're taking America back, it almost sounds like, and I know this is a stretch, the Klan's meeting. when they would say we gotta stop this desegregation because the "others" are corrupting are good ole American way of life. Deep huh. Ok, I'll have to write later to answer the other questions. take care sir.Chris Ray

1. We have more blessings.2. He is racist.3. We are busy loving everyone.4. There is a place for everyone.5. Selfishness.6. No. Satan still has power.7. 23? We need more trials.8. Again, selfishness.9. Religion can do the same thing to hearts.10. He is getting his power from somewhere.11. It isn't if we know that we will reap more than we sow.12. Because your memory is flying away too.13. We aren't listening to God.14. No faith.15. When he turned his back on God.16. News has to be exciting for the liberal media to print it.17. Because they can.18. All of it!19. Yes. All trials are to bring us back to God.20. Christ does

Pastor Dudley,If I may give my thoughts on a few of the more politically tinged questions that you posed....

2) Why is it that if someone disagrees with our President they are considered a racist? I don't remember anyone using that line on the former President and I disagreed with him all the time.The obvious answer is that George Bush was white. He didn’t have to produce a birth certificate to prove he was born in the U.S., or dispel rumors that he was African or Muslim. Not everyone who disagrees with the President is a racist, but there is a disturbing number of people in this country who resent the fact that a black man is sitting in the White House.

5) How can any politician NOT understand the DANGER of our country being 15 TRILLION dollars in DEBT. That burden falls upon our children.I agree, but where was the concern about debt reduction and fiscal responsibility during the Bush administration when we went from a budget surplus to a multi-trillion dollar deficit?

10) How can the President pass a mandatory Health Care Bill and then hand out over 1000 exceptions to certain corporations? How come you and I can't get one of those exemptions?How can we force people without health insurance to make a choice between seeking care for grievous diseases or going bankrupt and losing their homes? Why are we the only developed nation in the world that won’t provide health care for all of their people?

19) Do you think there is a chance that our economic trials in America could be tied to a moral and spiritual problem?I think many of our troubles are tied to moral and spiritual problems. I would like to see true Christian leaders emerge who believe in the principles taught by Jesus and the apostles - leaders who have a moral sense of responsibility to care for the sick and the poor. I want to see leaders who do not just call out, “Lord, Lord!”, but leaders who truly care for this planet that God has entrusted to us, and who truly care for the least of those among us.

answer 1-20: I don't know :( i think we all want easier faster answers to questions that only God can give. 2 Peter 1:3-4His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.